Looking to work or study in the UK?

Study, work and live in the UK with IELTS for UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)

If you are looking to work or study in UK, you may need to apply for a UK Visa and demonstrate that you have met the required level of English by taking a Home Office approved Secure English Language Test (SELT), such as IELTS for UKVI (Academic and General Training) or IELTS Life Skills.

What is the difference in test format between IELTS and IELTS for UKVI?

There is no difference in the test format between IELTS (Academic/General Training) and IELTS for UKVI (Academic/General Training). The test is the same in terms of content, format, level of difficulty and scoring. However, the Test Report Forms, which contain your results, will be slightly different to show that you have taken the test at an official IELTS UKVI location approved by the UK Home Office.

Which test format should I take?

If you are a student, please check with your university / college / school which test you need before booking.

If you are applying for a Student Visa (Tier 4) at a higher education institution to enter directly onto a bachelor or postgraduate degree at a university that is a Tier 4 Sponsor, you must meet the English language level set by the institution. All British universities and colleges accept IELTS Academic results This means you may not need to take an IELTS for UKVI (Academic) test but can submit an IELTS Academic result.

If you are NOT a student, please check which test format you need with the organisations you are applying to before booking the test.

Taking IELTS for UKVI with the British Council

IELTS for UKVI (Academic and General Training) tests and IELTS Life Skills are taken at a UKVI approved test centre. British Council has UKVI approved venues across the world.

IELTS for UKVI (Academic)

Take this test if the university or organisation you are applying to has requested that you to take the IELTS for UKVI (Academic) test.

This test is available in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Antalya. The fees are 1,600 Turkish Lira (TL).

IELTS Life Skills

IELTS Life Skills is an English test for people who need to prove only their speaking and listening skills at Levels A1, A2 or B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) for the purpose of applying for a UK Visa.

IELTS Life Skills is available at two levels:

IELTS LIFE SKILLS A1

Take this test if you need to prove your English speaking and listening skills as part of your application to UK Visas and Immigration for ‘family of a settled person’ visas.

The IELTS Life Skills test is available in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Antalya. The fee is 1,200 Turkish Lira (TL).